The Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament is the presiding officer of the
Cook Islands Parliament. The manage the House in accordance with its Standing Orders and according to the traditions of the Westminster system.
The current Speaker is
Tai Tura
Tutai Tura (born 3 October 1949) is a Cook Islands politician and former member of the Cook Islands Parliament. Since March 2021 he has been Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament. He is a member of the Cook Islands Party.
Tura was born on ...
.
Election
The Speaker is elected by the House at the beginning of a parliamentary term according to the provisions of the
Cook Islands Constitution and the Standing Orders. Unlike other Westminster systems the Speaker does not have to be a Member of Parliament, though they must be qualified to be one. By law they may not be a
Cabinet Minister
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, â ...
.
The Constitution requires that Parliament elect the person nominated by the Prime Minister, however the parliament's Standing Orders include a process for contested elections.
Following their election the Speaker must present themselves to the
Queen's Representative to swear an oath of allegiance and lay claim to the
privileges of the House.
The Speaker holds office until they cease to be an MP (or, in the case of a Speaker who is not an MP, cease to be qualified to be one), become a Minister, are removed by a vote of the House, or Parliament is dissolved.
Deputy Speaker
The Speaker is assisted by a Deputy Speaker, elected by Parliament.
[Constitution of the Cook Islands, s33; Standing Orders of the Parliament of the Cook Islands, SO 13 - 17.] The current Deputy Speaker is
Tingika Elikana.
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]
Holders of the office
Eight people have held the office of Speaker since the creation of Parliament. A full list of Speakers is below.
References
{{reflist
External links
Constitution of the Cook Islands
Cook Islands, Parliament
Politics of the Cook Islands
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